The Q&A: Louisa Bertman
You live in Cambridge, Mass., growing up in different towns around New England. As an artist, what are some of your favorite things about living and working in Cambridge?
I love being an illustrator. Having the luxury of being able to draw all day, and work anywhere is a perk that definitely doesn’t suck. My favorite things consists of waking up and taking my dog Pixel for a bike ride around Fresh Pond; grabbing coffee at Simons while continuously checking my email for assignments to see what fabulous new or regular clients will show up; and eagerly returning to my studio to begin/continue working on my current deadlines. I guess my favorite thing about living and working in Cambridge is living and working.
How and
when did you first become interested in art and illustration?
I was a professional modern dancer in New York City. My dad said he’d help with rent if I went back to school. Thinking
that physical therapy was the obvious choice I went to register at Hunter College, but the registration lines were so long, by the time I got to the front of the line, the classes were filled up.
Frustrated, I gave up, and headed back downtown to rehearsal. As I was walking along, I happened upon a few cool drawings in some storefront window. Curious, I walked in. That
window turned out to be Parsons School of Design. Fast Forward: I’m the proud owner of a BFA in illustration from Parsons.
What was your first commercial assignment?
Penthouse magazine. My parents were so proud.
What is your favorite part of the creative process?
I have a few favorite parts. The first is “That moment”. You know, the one when you have the vision of what you’re going to do. It may still be in your head, or a few scribbles on a page—but it’s that moment when you can see clearly what you’re going to say, and you know how you’re going to say it. The next is having the ability through illustrative reportage to expose and humanize inconceivable realities and issues in our world. And finally having the conduit, through technology and social media, to reproduce and share the stories. So to answer your question in one sentence, my favorite part of the creative process is having the vision to create, the tools to tell, and the ability to share.
Do you keep a sketchbook?
Sometimes
What is the longest-running character or theme in your art?
Hmmm, I don’t really have a longest-running character or theme, but I guess it seems that what once began as portraiture has morphed into illustrative reportage either through a single illo, a comic series, or an animated short. I believe at this point in my career I have a responsibility as an illustrator to go where cameras can’t, and show what photographs won’t.
Where did your idea for the animated film, Tits. originate? What was the most difficult part about getting from idea to finished art?
Crazy-talented Nathan Fox recently launched the groundbreaking MFA program in Visual Narrative at the School of Visual Arts. I’m lucky enough to be one of the guinea pigs—I mean
included in the inaugural class of 2015! Tits is the product of a final assignment given by Nathan Fox and the incredibly fabulously awesome Edward Hemingway this past summer.
The most difficult part for me was coming up with the story. The grueling part was because I had used up an entire week writing mystory, I only had three days left to create all my illustrations
and animations. I literally finished Tits sleep deprived, smelly, and armored with the breath only a mother could love—20 minutes before showtime. (You can
view Tits here)
What are you reading? How do you get your news?
I just finished reading Walking through Clear Water in Stream Painted Black by Cookie Mueller, and Drawn Together by A. and R. Crumb. The pile of books by my bed include: Warrior Princess by Kristin Beck; The Amazing, Enlightening And Absolutely True Adventures of Katherine Whaley by Kim Deitch; The China Study by T. Colin Campbell; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling; David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell; The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today by Bales and Soodalter. I get my news from NPR, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Schwartz Report, Bill Maher, Wired, the New Yorker, The Onion, and my kids.
What new technologies [or old technologies updated] are contributing to the animation artist’s toolbox?
Oh man I’m such a technology junkie… My new awesome tool is Wacom’s Inkling It’s a digital pen that allows me to draw with real ink, while it translates all my lines/sketches into vectors and layers via a Bluetooth clip attachment—and it comes with a swanky nerdy looking carrying case.
Who/what are some of your strongest influences? My family, George Grosz, Gustav Klimt, Ralph Steadman, Jan Faust, Lynda Barry, Lucinda Williams, The Pixies, Jack White, Patti Smith, R. Crumb, Arnie Zane, Danny Sloan, Johnny Cash, Hunter S. Thompson, Annie Sprinkle, Victor Borge, Neil Gaiman, Twyla Tharp, Sarah Silverman, Joe Ciardiello, StevenPetronio, Kathryn Bolkova, Melanie Reim, Lou Reed—man, the list could go on forever the more I think about it…
What are some of your favorite blogs/websites for inspiration?
For starters have you
seen Guillermo Del Toros’ sketchbook?!? WTF?!?#*$&@#@ AWESOME!; and then of course can
anyone ever get enough TED Talks?; Freelancers Union; The
Schwartz Report; Fantagraphics: School of Visual Art’s MFA Visual
Narrative site—it’s a really cool design, and everywhere you click it’s links to inspiration:http://mfavisualnarrative.sva.edu
What advice would you give to a young artist/illustrator who is just
getting noticed?
Keep your sense of humor close. Never miss a deadline. Get a dog.
Louisa
Bertman creates all her work digitally. Her current ongoing projects include illustrating Pepper, a historical fiction graphic novel written by singer songwriter Tanya Donelly (of Throwing Muses, Belly, The Breeders); Illustrating The Janice Joplin issue of Bruce Worden’s brand new comic book
series Woodstalk: Three Days of Peace, Music and Zombies; as well as working on her own animated short film, Rushhour – Human Trafficking in the USA. Bertman is humbled and
honored for recently being commissioned by the Evers’ family to paint the portraits of Assassinated Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers, and his widow, activist Myrlie Evers-Williams for their private estate. Other private recipients of Bertman’s work include: Dr. Cornel
West, Greenday’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool & Mike Dirnt; Glee’s Darren Criss, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jules Feiffer. Editorial clients include The
Wall Street Journal, Penthouse Magazine, The Village Voice, The New Republic, Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, High Times Magazine, EBONY, The Progressive, Weekly Dig, The New York Times, ESPN
the Magazine, The Rotarian, OC Register, The Washington Post. Tits was selected for the AI-AP IMMA2 (International Motion Arts Award
2).
Website:http://www.louisabertman.com
Facebook: /louisabertman, Twitter: @louisabertman
Email: louisa@louisabertman.com